A variety of methods have been developed to assist in curling hair. Most of these methods require dry hair in order to most effectively set the desired curl. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, rollers 10 have been used to curl hair and, as shown in FIG. 3, curling irons 20 were later developed for the same purpose.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the rollers 10 have a metallic center portion 12 and non-metallic ends 14, which are usually made of plastic. The metallic center portion 12 is heated via hot rods 16 (see FIG. 2), while the non-metallic ends 14 remain cool. In using rollers, one must normally dry the hair, otherwise, the roller will not effectively curl the hair. Next, one must separate a group of hair to be curled (not shown), lift a roller 10 by its non-metallic ends 14, and roll the roller 10 by its ends 14 in such a way that the group of hair to be curled is wrapped around the center portion 12 of the roller. After some time, the hair to be curled is unrolled from the roller 10 and the desired curl is set.
Another method of curling one's hair is to use a curling iron 20 as shown in FIG. 3. The curling iron 20 has a central shaft 22 and a pivotable arm 24, which pivots in and out of contact with the central shaft 22. The central shaft 22 is heated, typically via electric current traveling through an internal heating coil (not shown).
The general method of curling one's hair using a curling iron is described below. First, the hair to be curled must be completely dried. Next, the pivotable arm 24 is pivoted out of contact from the heated central shaft 22 and the group of hair to be curled (not shown) is placed between the central shaft 22 and the pivotable arm 24. The pivotable arm 24 is then moved back towards the central shaft 22 engaging the hair to be curled between it and the central shaft 22. The curling iron 20 is then rotated about the axis of the central shaft 22 causing the hair to be rolled about the central shaft 22. A few minutes later, the curled hair is unrolled from the central shaft 22 and is released by the pivotable arm 24 as the pivotable arm 24 is pivoted out of contact from the heated central shaft 22.
There are many disadvantages associated with using either rollers or a curling iron to curl one's hair. For example, to be most effective in either instance, one must completely dry the hair prior to curling. A towel may be used, but this process can be quite time consuming and tiresome depending upon the length and thickness of the hair. Alternatively, a hair dryer may be used. However, the heat generated by a hair dryer can damage the hair. Moreover, subsequent use of a curling iron subjects the hair to intense and damaging heat on multiple occasions. In addition, when using rollers, because each roller 10 must be handled manually, there is a relatively strong risk that users of rollers may sustain burns by contacting the hot center portion 12 of the roller 10 against their skin.
In an effort to overcome the disadvantages of rollers and curling irons, a brush 30 (shown in FIG. 4) has been developed. The brush 30 has a metallic brush head 32 and a handle 34 fixedly attached thereto. The brush head 32 is hollow and has a plurality of apertures 36 therein. Bristles 38, which are supported by a support member 40 (see FIG. 5), protrude from the apertures 36.
The brush 30 is designed to be used in conjunction with a hair dryer (not shown) and permits hair to be effectively curled as it is being dried. Specifically, the hair to be curled is engaged by the bristles 38 of the brush 30 and is rolled about the brush head 32 by rotating the brush head 32 about its axis via rotation of the handle 34. Hot air is then directed, by a hair dryer, at the brush head 32 and the hair to be curled. Because the brush head 32 is metallic, it is heated relatively quickly by the hot air and allows heat to be distributed along its body. Furthermore, the plurality of apertures 36 allow heat to pass through the hollow brush head 32 to aid in heating the portion of the brush head 32 opposite the portion directly exposed to the flow of hot air.
After the brush head 32 is heated, the hair dryer is shut off and the brush 30 must be held in place for several minutes until it cools. This cooling period allows the curl to be set. The curled hair is then unrolled from the brush head 32.
One problem with such a brush is that one's arm may become fatigued by holding the brush in place while it cools, especially after curling a number of sections of one's hair. Another obvious problem with such a brush is the down time associated with allowing the brush to cool.
In order to make effective use of one's time when the brush 30 is cooling and to avoid the fatigue associated with holding a brush in place as it cools, some individuals have used a plurality of brushes to curl different sections of their hair. Doing so has presented a number of other problems.
For example, when more than one brush 30 is being used, the individual must let go of the handle 34 of the brush 30 which is cooling in order to position a second brush. The effect is that the weight of the handle 34 causes the brush head 32 to rotate, and, hence, causes the position and/or shape of the curl to be modified or lost altogether. Another problem with using multiple brushes is that the handles 34 of such brushes may obstruct a user and prevent her from being able to curl certain sections of her hair until one or more of the brushes has been removed.
Accordingly, there is a need for a curling brush which overcomes all of the problems described above.